Possible Android 4.4 Messaging and Phone App screenshots surface

Our first look at Android 4.4 came after a Nexus 5 running a supposed build of Android 4.4 was photographed and video’d after being left in a bar, now 9to5Google have received some screenshots of what appears to be updated Message and Phone Apps.

The apps appear to have a colour scheme – Green for Messaging matching the Green icon and Blue for Phone, also matching its icon – which continues right up to the notification panel, where the text appears to be grey, a recurring theme from the shots of KitKat we’ve seen so far that marries up with a rumoured option to change the colour palette from the default Android Blue.

The re-design appears to be quite clean and flat going with the trends in Mobile OS design and looks quite nice. The overhauled phone app specifically looks quite good with the new lighter blue theme but there appears to still be inconsistencies in both apps, with the overflow menu in the apps in different locations – top in the Messaging app, bottom in the Phone app.

As September draws to a close we can perhaps expect some more screenshots to leak, if you have access to Android 4.4 or a Nexus 5 and would like to share something – anonymity guaranteed 😉 – simply head over to our tips page and share.

Meanwhile we’re still expecting an October 14th announcement of the Nexus 5 and the Android 4.4 (Kit Kat) update with an early November launch, although whether that will be a worldwide launch or a staggered launch as seen with the Nexus 7(2013) is yet to be determined.

UPDATE 9to5Google have added two more pictures, this time showing the home screen and an about screen :
But, that’s still not to say these are the real deal. The legitimacy of these shots has been called into question by Android Police, who’ve broken down the reasons for the questions which stem from inconsistencies mainly in the newer screenshots but also by the presence of ‘Mr Jingles’ – a Google+ mascot – in the messaging app, although if the Android team has integrated something of Google+ Messaging/Hangouts into Messaging this may explain its presence.

So, the question is, are they real?

If these screenshots are from updated apps in Android 4.4, what do you think?

Daniel Tyson

Dan is a die-hard Android fan. Some might even call him a lunatic. He's been an Android user since Android was a thing, and if there's a phone that's run Android, chances are he owns it (his Nexus collection is second-to-none) or has used it.

Dan's dedication to Ausdroid is without question, and he has represented us at some of the biggest international events in our industry including Google I/O, Mobile World Congress, CES and IFA.